The Poems Between Friends
by turtlequeen2
Summary: This is a three chapter fluff between Inuyasha and Kagome. What happens when Kagome writes poetry and Inuyasha discovers it? Chaos, that's what. Much romance and fluff to go around. Please enjoy and review!
1. Kagome to Inuyasha : What Am I to You?

**Disclaimer:**

Turtlequeen2: This is a new project I'm trying out. It's a three chapter story mainly about Kagome and Inuyasha's relationship. Includes poems and a small plot. Romance for the two, but including Kikyou….it wouldn't be Inuyasha without her interference would it?

So for those of you who like my poetry, this is a small little fluff story of Inu/Kags. Please enjoy and review!

I do not own Inuyasha, only Rumiko Takahashi does. It's only wishful thinking…

**

* * *

Chapter 1: Kagome to Inuyasha**

**What Am I to You?**

The Miko from the Future was pressing her pen to the paper with haste. She was only glanced up to see those familiar golden eyes look back at her. The eyes were accompanied by the flow of silver hair and cute dog-like ears on the top of the person's head. The hanyou was staring at her in interest. He sat near her in a dog-like fashion, his red haori and hakama ruffling in the cold night wind.

She then looked around at her other friends who were all currently sleeping near the fire. The monk and the taijiya were far apart after the earlier incidents with his groping hand. Shippou, the small kitsune, laid curled up with Kirara, the neko-youkai in her kitten form.

"Kagome, what are you writing? Is it for another one of your spell book things?" came the familiar hanyou's voice. The miko looked back at Inuyasha and shook her head absentmindedly.

"No, it's just my journal," she explained softly.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "What's a journal?" he asked, his ears flicking in attentiveness.

Kagome heaved a sigh. "It's something I write in to explain my day. To put down my thoughts and keep a record for my memories."

"I've never seen you use it before," Inuyasha stated matter-of-factly.

" I just found it recently and decided to put it back into use," came Kagome's explanation.

"Oh? So can I see it?" he asked.

Kagome suddenly stiffened up. "No! It's something for only me to see!"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. "Keh! Fine! You don't need to jump down my throat over it!" he half-yelled, not trying to wake up the rest of the group.

The miko only rolled her eyes though she felt guilty for how she reacted. _'Ok, so maybe I was a little too harsh…' _she thought as she cast a look at the brooding hanyou with his back turned to her.

A determined expression crossed her face. '_I still have to get this done!' _she exclaimed in her mind. She took on a concentrated look as she began to once again, scribble down words into her notebook. There was a reason that she didn't want Inuyasha to see what was written in her journal. It was mainly the fact that she confessed things in there that she didn't want him to see. Mostly about her loving him and her thoughts about his relationship with Kikyou.

As she continued to write, she reached her hand up to her mouth to stifle a yawn. Inuyasha didn't fail to pick up on it. He cast a glance at her over his shoulder while she wasn't looking up.

"You should get some sleep," he murmured less gruff than before. "We're leaving first thing in the morning."

Kagome heaved a sigh. "I know. I'll go to sleep after I finish this," she said with determination despite the fact that her eyes were half-shut.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, his back still turned to her. She was one stubborn woman! Anyone could easily tell that Kagome was making herself stay awake. His face furrowed in thought. _'What the hell is so important that she has to force herself to stay awake in order to write?' _

He had no time to think, for the potent smell of tears filled his senses. He stiffened up, hating when any woman was crying. He nervously turned to see his greatest fear. Kagome's back shuddering as she was sobbing silently.

"K…kagome?" he asked, his eyes wide with surprise. What the hell was going on?

She continued to ignore him as she finished her writing, putting the pen away with a trembling hand. Her shoulders shook as she tried her hardest to look away from his worried eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded impulsively. His tone was underlined with concern even though it sounded uncaring.

Kagome knew him well enough to know that he was only worried about her so she didn't bother with a glare. It wasn't in her intent to actually cry in front of him. _'I knew I should've waited until he was asleep…' _she thought in a sigh. _'But then again, he'd probably smell my tears and wake up anyways…'_

"I…it's nothing Inuyasha," she lied, trying to stop herself from shedding more tears. The more she cried, the more Inuyasha would get suspicious to know why she was crying.

"Don't lie to me wench! You don't just cry about nothing!" Inuyasha exclaimed. He knew that it had something to do with the things she was writing about.

Kagome let out a sigh. She then turned to him and forced a smile. "It's nothing you'd care about," she said, trying to avert the subject.

His eyes narrowed. "Try me," he replied.

Kagome wanted to smack her hand to her forehead, but held in the urge. _'I didn't expect him to want to know so badly! Usually he'd just stop talking about it after the first time I try to change the subject.' _

"Um…well…it was a song I listened to. Yea that's it!" Kagome said more to herself as she tried to lie again. A sudden smile formed as she mentally congratulated herself on her fast thinking.

"A song?" Inuyasha asked, not believing her for one second.

"Yea, when I was writing, it suddenly popped into the my head. It was about this woman who talked to the her love's grave because she couldn't get over grieving over him," she continued, thinking up the idea as it flew across her mind.

"Keh!" came the hanyou's only response. "So how did the human die?" he asked in slight interest after a minute of silence.

Kagome made a thoughtful face as she pondered this. "Well it didn't say, though it seemed like the man died trying to protect her."

Inuyasha's eyes widened slightly.

She continued," It reminds me of Sango-chan and Miroku-sama in a way." She knew very well that it also reminded them both about themselves, but Kagome didn't dare bring it up. Not wanting anymore questioning, she walked over towards her sleeping bag and crawled in. "Goodnight Inuyasha," she nearly whispered as she yawned again, once again taken over by sleepiness.

As she immediately succumbed to sleep, Inuyasha only shook his head. "I knew that she was tired," he murmured under his breath, a small smirk forming on his face.

He turned his back to walk over to the tree above them to rest in. However, he was stopped by Kagome's sudden whimpering. He raised his eyebrow and turned back to see that she was shivering. In her rush to get to sleep, she forgot to put the cover back over herself.

Sighing, he crept beside her and cautiously reached out to cover her. He was surprised to find the notebook still open and in the underside of the covers as he pulled back on them. The hanyou noticed immediately, the scribbled handwriting and the kanji that spelled out his name.

Curiosity got the better of him as he picked up the notebook, careful not to ruffle the pages. He walked over to his perch in the tree and hopped into it, as to be a safe away from the miko. Just as he suspected, she was lying about why she was crying. He knew this because he could clearly see and smell the tears that fell onto the parchment.

The hanyou's eyes widened as he began to read the entry addressed to his name. It was as if she was writing to him!

* * *

Inuyasha

What am I to you?

Kikyou or myself?

A friend or something more?

Someone to love or hate?

* * *

My heart yearns for your answer

Yet at the same time I am scared

Scared that you choose her over me

Scared that I might loose you

* * *

You always run off to her

Then turn around to come back to me

"What the hell are you thinking?"

That is the same question I think over and over again

* * *

I am growing weary of being second best

Am I only here for your convenience?

No, I should stop thinking that

You have already told me time and time again

That I am more to you than just a jewel detector

Still, why don't you just put Kikyou in our group and push me

Back down the well from whence I came?

* * *

Aren't I too weak?

I must be nuts,

I am starting to think that Sesshoumaru is onto something

Emotions are for the weak

As long this goes on

My heart and soul will continue to go on clenching

Clenching in hurt and pain and yearning

* * *

So what am I to you?

I hardly doubt that I'll ever let you see this

I'm too frightened to

What would your reaction be?

To know that I loved you?

My tears show that enough when I cry by your side

Every time you get injured

When you are near death

So am I wasting my time,

Thinking that you'd ever return the feelings I have for you?

* * *

Kikyou often says that I am not supposed to be here

That I should stand aside

But I will not!

Until I hear the words from **YOUR **mouth

I am here to stay

All because I promised to stay by your side

And I won't go back on it

* * *

Inuyasha's eyes were wide as flying saucers. His jaw dropped before he could stop it. She loved him!

"…Kagome loves _me_?" Inuyasha asked himself. If he didn't witness her writing it in front of him, he would've never believed it. A big grin found it way to his face as he thought about Kouga's face if he knew about this. The grin was also from the sheer thought of Kagome loving him; a hanyou.

His ears then flattened against his skull as a full wave of guilt came over him. His gold eyes narrowed in thought. "Kuso! I had no idea! What will I do now? With Kikyou and Kagome…" he muttered under his breath.

_'I love them both. Dammit! This is too much to handle now, but I know that I have to choose eventually. Kagome is my present,' _he began, then continued,'_ but Kikyou is my past…Why the hell does this have to be so hard!' _he finished bitterly.

An idea then popped into his head. He stopped his maze of endless thoughts as he crept over to Kagome's backpack and pulled out the pen and jumped back into his perch. He smirked and then took on a more concentrated look as he began to write in rushed kanji. What a state of surprise she'll be in…

Of course that's if she wasn't too angry to sit him to hell for finding out that he read her entry despite her warnings against it…

* * *

So what shall Inuyasha write back? Stay tuned!

**Kuso - Shit/Damn**

Please review!

Ja ne!


	2. Inuyasha to Kagome : To Kagome

**Disclaimer:**

Turtlequeen2: I am SOOOO sorry for the horrible wait! My computer broke! It took this long to fix it! I hope this extra long chapter length makes up for it!

I also like the positive feedback I'm getting on this story. Thanks so much! I would like to thank my reviewers: Lesbian-Lover, alyssa, anna, Inuyashafan4eva, InuLover, Kanna13, Kagura615, ChocolateCheezecake, Inu Youkai Wanna Be, and Deadly Crimson.

I would especially like to thank Kanna13 and Kagura615 for the awesome reviews! You guys are great friends! You made me blush…lol. Such high honors.

I would also like to thank Inu Youkai Wanna Be for helping me work on this chapter!

I do not own Inuyasha & Co. Only Rumiko Takahashi does!

Please enjoy!

**WARNING:** Inuyasha's written response may be OOC.

**

* * *

Chapter 2: Inuyasha to Kagome **

**To Kagome**

It was finally morning and the Inu-Tachi were beginning to stir.

Kagome was the first up, stretching her arms, then immediately working on rolling up her sleeping bag. The miko decided on preparing breakfast for everyone. She set up a pot and gathered a few more twigs to set the already burnt out campfire. She then poured water she had stored in a water bottle, into the pot to get it to boil for ramen.

She stared at her backpack and began to reach for her journal. However, her hand stopped in movement as she heard a sudden sound.

"HENTAI!" was heard through the clearing, followed by a sounding SMACK! Kagome only heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.

As expected, an angry taijiya walked up towards where Kagome was sitting, followed by a monk blissfully rubbing the newly formed handprint on his cheek.

The woman wore a simple fashioned yukata with her weapon of choice, Hiraikotsu, in hand. Her long, black hair was tied back in a low pony tail. She wore simple sandals on her feet, always ready to change into her taijiya outfit when needed. Her face was usually that of kindness, but the man behind her always seemed to bring out her frightening side.

The male wore the traditional robes of a monk, the only difference being in the color of the clothing. They were black and violet. He wore rosary beads on his right hand to cover up his curse, the kazaana. He had calm dark colored eyes that matched the shade of his short black hair to which was pulled into a small rat tail. He used his covered hand to carry his Shakujou.

"Baka," came a snort from out of nowhere as a small bundle of fur landed onto Kagome's lap. The miko gave a small laugh in amusement. The little kitsune looked up at Kagome with a small smile of cuteness.

Kagome kept her cheerful disposition in place as she called," Sango-chan! Miroku-sama! Ohayo!"

The woman, Sango, smiled at her best friend, replying," Ohayo gozaimasu, Kagome-chan!" She then threw a death glare at the houshi, Miroku and added," However, I can't say the same about Houshi-sama…"

The monk let out a small laugh of nervousness. "Sango-sama, please don't misunderstand. I was merely stretching and you were near. It was only an accident…" the monk trailed off, attempting to feign innocence.

"_Sure_ you didn't mean it…" she growled out almost inhumanly, rolling her eyes.

Miroku heaved a soft sigh, knowing that he couldn't think of anything else to retort. Both older teens took a place next to Kagome and Shippou (of course far apart from each other).

"Ohayo, Kirara!" Shippou called towards the small neko who bounded towards them. The youkai mewed in happy response, making the rest of the group smile at her adorableness.

"So, where's Inuyasha?" Sango asked.

"Yes, where is our temperamental friend? Has he gone out to hunt?" Miroku added, secretly glad that another subject was brought up to distract Sango from wanting to beat him into unconsciousness.

Kagome blinked, beginning to realize that her friends were right. She failed to see that the hanyou was missing since she had gotten up. "Um…I'm not sure where he went. You think that's where he went off to?" she asked them.

Shippou rolled his eyes. "Maybe he went to play with sticks or something…" he murmured.

A growl sounded through the clearing at that response, making the kisune instantly tense up in Kagome's arms. _'Oh now he has to come!' _the kitsune thought with a roll of his eyes, even though he was scared.

"What was that you little brat!" came a snarl of irritation from a voice everyone there knew all too well.

Kagome sighed and stood up to face the person who the voice belonged to. "Inuyasha, where were you?" she demanded, ignoring his threats to Shippou.

He crossed his arms and replied," Keh! I was just walking to make sure there weren't any youkai around before we left. I know how easily you humans get distracted."

The rest of the group rolled their eyes at the hanyou's arrogant response. Kagome sat back down and began to pour the water into the ramen cups.

"Are you hungry Inuyasha?" Kagome asked in a small smile.

"Keh!" he only snorted, but nevertheless, sat down next to the rest of the group.

She held in a chuckle as she saw his dog-ears immediately perk up involuntarily before he could stop himself. "I take that as a yes then," she grinned, pointing her finger to the top of his head.

He threw a glare at her, not liking when she pointed out that he wasn't as fierce as he tried to appear. Kagome kept her smile in place, only causing him to sulkily dig into his share of ramen with his chopsticks.

Shippou rolled his eyes as he sat beside Kirara, eating his own share quickly so as not to provoke the hanyou to steal his portion.

Miroku and Sango smirked in amusement at the pouting hanyou. "Thank you for this delicious meal as usual," Miroku told Kagome smoothly.

"Hai, it's great," Sango grinned as she used her manners as she ate.

Kagome nodded and kindly replied," It's no problem!"

After the rest of the group was finished, they began to pack up. Kagome ended up having to push her bike along the trail as Shippou rested on her shoulder.

Kirara laid curled up in Sango's arms. Miroku walked beside Sango, but made sure to keep his distance. He knew that the taijiya was still weary of his earlier actions. Inuyasha was of course, walking ahead of the group, eager to get back on track in finding Naraku's whereabouts.

They were walking, enjoying the peace, until Inuyasha stopped in his tracks and let out a growl.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked in curiosity. She then paused as she began to sense things. "I sense two jewel shards…"

The others in the group let out a sigh as they already knew who it was that was approaching them.

"That wimpy wolf…" Inuyasha snarled out, confirming their thoughts.

No sooner had he said that, a tornado of dust came around the corner. As the dust finally cleared, Kouga, the wolf demon was standing in front of Kagome, grasping her hands in his.

"Uh…hi Kouga-kun," Kagome said timidly.

"Hey Kagome," Kouga said in a smile. "I caught your scent and decided to drop by."

Inuyasha stood behind the wolf and quickly brought his fist down upon Kouga's head, causing a knot to form. Kouga let out a growl of irritation and turned around to glare at the hanyou.

"Oi, Inukkoro! I know that unbearable stench from anywhere…" Kouga smirked.

"Why you…" Inuyasha snarled, his fists clenching. "What the hell are you here for?" he then demanded.

Kouga wrapped his arm over Kagome's shoulders and drew her closer to him. "Your hearing must be worse than I thought. Why the hell else would I be here other than to visit my woman?" he asked.

Kagome couldn't help the embarrassed blush she gave from being held close in such a manner. "K…Kouga?" she squeaked out.

_'To piss me off…_' Inuyasha mentally replied. "Keh! And how many times do I have to tell you that she isn't YOUR woman!" Inuyasha instead growled, pushing his way in between the two people.

The hanyou stood in front of Kagome in a protective manner as he faced off against Kouga.

Shippou was now on Miroku's shoulder and sighed. "Oh great, the two bakas are at it again…" he muttered.

"Indeed," Miroku agreed in a sigh.

Both men unfortunately heard their remarks and turned their glares on them. "What was that!" they both hollered at the same time. The monk and kitsune only cringed, trying to feign innocence.

"What? We said nothing…" Miroku lied, holding up his hand as if it would help defend his case. The only response he got were two growls.

"Um…excuse me?" Kagome managed to get out, making the two canine youkai to turn their attention to her. She took a deep breath and then yelled," YOU BOTH ARE BAKAS!" Both men instantly backed away from her, inwardly cringing at her irritated expression.

"K…Kagome?" Kouga murmured in shock. He hadn't experienced Kagome's anger towards _him _since he first kidnapped her and claimed her as his woman.

"Don't take it out on Miroku or Shippou! You're the ones yelling at each other! Those two have nothing to do with your idiocy!" Kagome yelled.

Inuyasha and Kouga both stared at Kagome in shock. "Wait…what the hell is that supposed to mean?" the hanyou stupidly asked, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm getting tired of you two! Can't you get along for once in your lives?" Kagome said in frustration.

"No," both canine demons answered in unison, glaring at each other.

"Um…is Kagome-chan alright?" Sango whispered to Miroku. "She usually doesn't get this mad at both of them…"

"I'm not sure…" the monk answered honestly.

"Maybe their tempers are rubbing off on her…" Shippou mumbled in fear.

Kagome threw her hands up in exasperation. "You both are the most stubborn people I know!"

"You're not exactly the easiest person to please either!" Inuyasha replied, in a near growl.

"What's that supposed to mean!" Kagome demanded.

Kouga watched the two of them now arguing. It seemed like they were too into their fight to notice that he was even there. _'Inuyasha is truly an idiot. At least it's in my favor though…' _Kouga began. _'Now that Kagome is angry with him, she will take her fury out on him and then be ready to come to my waiting arms…' _he finished in a smirk.

"You're the most stubborn wench I ever met!" Inuyasha bellowed. "And you call _me _stubborn…" He glared at her a moment more before adding," Keh!"

"I'm am not!" she denied. "I can't help it if you're an impulsive jerk! Someone has to restrain you!"

Kouga had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing at Kagome's response. How right she was…

In that moment of silence, Inuyasha glanced over at Kouga at that particular moment. "What the hell are you smirking about, you bastard?" he demanded in a snarl.

"Nothing much Inukkoro. Just the fact that those beads around your neck are proof of Kagome's sweet words…" Kouga replied in a haughty sneer.

Inuyasha only growled at those words. "You really want to die don't you?" he snarled, placing his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga.

The ookami smirked at the hanyou's unspoken actions. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" he asked instead.

Kagome rolled her eyes at the two men. Now Inuyasha completely ignored her and wanted to once again decapitate the wolf. She shut her eyes in anger and clenched her fists at her sides. "Inuyasha…" she ground out.

Inuyasha stopped growling and looked back at Kagome. "Kagome…?" he could only get out before the obvious happened.

"OSUWARI!" she yelled, activating the kotodama beads around his neck. They glowed a bright pink before dragging him to the ground, creating an Inuyasha-sized crater.

The rest of the Inu-tachi only shook their heads and sighed. Kouga, on the other hand, smirked once more at the hanyou's predicament.

"Ka…Go…Me…" Inuyasha snarled into the dirt, waiting for the spell to wear off.

Kagome ignored the growl and then turned once again, on Kouga. "You're lucky I don't have beads for you because you would also find yourself lying face-down in the dirt…" she managed to get out between clenched teeth.

"Wha…?" Kouga could only get out. He was surprised that she would turn on him so easily.

Inuyasha smirked into the dirt, liking how Kagome was now treating the wolf.

"Kagome?" the wolf asked.

"I think it would be best if you would leave Kouga," she sighed. "I'm sorry for my earlier outburst," she added in a small smile, looking up at him.

The wolf found her quick change of moods to be unsettling; however, he agreed to her words. He nodded and replied," Very well. I'll leave, but I'll be back!" With that, he turned on his heels and began to run in the opposite direction of the group. The tornadoes picked up behind him once again as he increased his speed.

Inuyasha growled behind the miko, by that time out of the crater. She turned around to see his glare locked on her.

"Keh! Of course, you'll apologize to him…" he muttered. "…AFTER slamming ME into the dirt!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes back at him. "Well he's an ally. Though he's in as much fault as you, I have no hold over him…"

"But you didn't have to apologize!" the hanyou yelled. "If anyone deserves an apology, it should be me!"

Shippou shook his head. "Oh now he's done it…" he muttered. Sango and Miroku sighed in agreement.

"Why should I apologize to you? With that attitude, you're lucky I even talk to you period!" Kagome hollered back in a glare.

"Oh I get it…" Inuyasha murmured. "It's because you love the wolf isn't it?" he growled.

The miko's mouth dropped open before she could stop it. "What?" she exclaimed. "What gave you that idea! I do _NOT _love Kouga for the last time!" she yelled. "You're just jealous!"

"Keh! I'm not jealous over _you_! That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say!" Inuyasha argued back, making his words sound harsher than usual. He quickly covered up the small blush that formed at her accusation.

She suddenly snapped her mouth shut before she could yell some more at him. A small bitter smirk crossed her face as she hung her head. "Of course…you have Kikyou…" she murmured quietly.

Inuyasha froze at those words. It was then that he knew that he went too far. He would rather have her yell at him than have her hang her head like she was doing at that moment.

She suddenly snapped her head back up, anger and sadness mixed together in her face. Her eyes glistened with tears and the hanyou could smell them near. "OSUWARI! You jerk!" she shrieked in rage.

He found himself slammed to the earth once more. This time however, he felt that he deserved it. He heard her stomp away from him.

"Kagome-sama?" Miroku murmured as he watched the miko walk away from them.

"Someone should go after her…" Sango muttered. "It's reckless to go off alone at this time of day…"

Inuyasha sat up as soon as the spell wore off.

The taijiya seen him sit up and added in a near growl," Someone _except _Inuyasha…" At her tone, the hanyou mentally cringed.

Shippou then decided to take actions into his own hands. He hopped from Miroku's shoulder to Inuyasha's head. "You baka!" the kitsune raged. "How could you say that to Kagome? You probably made her cry!" In emphasis, he tugged harshly on Inuyasha's ears.

The hanyou growled in irritation and easily took Shippou off of his head by his hand. He then threw the kitsune a few feet across the clearing. "Keh!" he snorted out, crossing his arms stubbornly. His expression showed frustration; however, his eyes showed concern.

"You jerk!" Shippou growled, getting back up and rubbing the small bump that formed on his head.

"Kirara, go watch over Kagome," Sango commanded to her neko friend. The youkai nodded her small head and mewed in response. Kirara then proceeded to run off towards the direction Kagome went in.

"I hope she will come back soon…" Miroku murmured in worry.

"Let's hope she does…" Sango added.

* * *

With Kagome

* * *

"That baka…" Kagome growled, stomping her feet with every step. She finally arrived at a riverside and decided to rest there. She pulled off her heavy backpack and laid it next to her.

She sat down along the bank and pulled her knees to her chest, heaving a heavy sigh. She wiped her face clear of any lingering tears. "Why do I still cry…?" she asked herself. "I already know that he still loves Kikyou but…" she trailed off.

She then reached over to her backpack and searched for the item she needed most. She then smiled a little as she pulled out her journal and a pen. She decided to write her thoughts in it to see if it would make her feel better.

She flipped to her latest entry and expected a blank entry next to it. However, to her a shock, the page was not empty. She nearly dropped the journal onto the grass as she tried to think of who wrote it. She gasped as she began to read the kanji. It was directed towards her.

* * *

Kagome

How is it that you care for me?

For a hanyou

A hanyou that can turn full youkai and kill without warning

Me, who is weak

* * *

I treat you poorly

Often try to push you away

And yet you persist

Never giving up

Trying to show me the goodness in my heart

However small it may be

* * *

You are such a baka at times

You always ask if I can't tell between you and Kikyou

Why must you always ask me that?

I already KNOW that you're NOT Kikyou!

You are yourself and no one else

Even if you are Kikyou's reincarnation,

I do not view you as her

You are Kagome and only Kagome

* * *

You already know that I would give my life any day

To make sure you were safe

I would sacrifice my life for yours

I care for you that much

So perhaps…

You are more than a mere companion to me

* * *

That is the reason I push you away

Because we cannot get close

I cannot afford to loose another woman I care about

In this sense, I am protecting both you and myself

However painful it may be for the both of us

* * *

You saying that you love me

Fills me with overwhelming joy to be completely honest

However, it also fills me with dread

If you are to fall in love with me,

My past life may repeat itself

I could not bear that

* * *

Now that you say that you love me

I now know how much it must have pained you

To see me run to Kikyou

I was so oblivious to your feelings

I'm sorry for this

However, as long as Kikyou walks in this world

I cannot help but blame myself

That is why I am drawn to her time and time again

* * *

Kagome

I wish to tell you so many things

Hell, half of these things I write down now

I could never say to your face

Could you believe this?

To know that I'm actually petrified

Petrified of telling you how I truly feel

* * *

Part of the reason that I could not tell you

Is that I didn't know how you felt towards me

I was afraid of rejection

To know that you of all people cares for me so fondly

Is hard for me to believe

I know that for you to reject me would be the most pain

I would have to endure

That would be worse than any attack Naraku could manage to create

* * *

Now that I know how you truly care for me

Perhaps I can be more certain of my feelings for you

Perhaps…

I…

_**Love **_

You

* * *

Kagome's mouth dropped as she finished reading the poem. "No…this couldn't be from…" she gasped. Tears found their way down her face again. The tears were of happiness and frustration.

"There's no way _he_ could have written that…" she trailed off, not even capable of speaking his name out loud. Her insides were all twisted from reading those words. To even fathom that the hanyou could love her in return! Her anger from their earlier argument dissipated in an instant.

It was too hard to believe. Especially from his earlier words.

* * *

"Keh! I'm not jealous over _you_! That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say!"

* * *

She then let her mouth drop open again at another sudden thought. _'If this is from Inuyasha, then he must have read MY poem to HIMSELF!' _

"No…this can't be happening…" she whispered. She didn't know whether to jump up and scream in happiness or to cry her lungs out from the overbearing feelings she felt. She knew that it had to have been him.

Miroku, Sango, and Shippou weren't awake when she was writing in her journal. Even if they were, they wouldn't have tried a prank that cruel to her. The only way to find out if he wrote this himself, was to ask him.

She gulped at that sudden thought. Would she even have the guts to face him? She didn't even know if she could look the guy in the eyes now, let alone ask him if he wrote the poem to her!

A small smile began to tug at the sides of her mouth. "Inuyasha…sentimental…?" she managed to get out before letting out a small laugh. That fact alone was hard to consider. She thought him not to have a romantic bone in his body!

She wiped the tears from her eyes and put the journal and pen back into her backpack. She then proceeded to stand up and brush the grass from her sailor fuku.

She then stiffened when she heard a sound. As she concentrated more, she found it to be a small mewling sound. She heard it come closer and looked on the ground to find it to only be Kirara.

"Kirara?" she asked. "Did they send you out here to get me?"

The neko-youkai nodded and let out another small mew. She then ran up the slopped hill, urging Kagome to follow her. The miko smiled at the neko's adorableness and began to walk behind the demon.

However, within a few steps, the neko stopped and let out a small growl in warning.

"Kirara?" Kagome only murmured. She then narrowed her eyes as she sensed the presence of a youkai. She then gasped. "Oh no! I left my bow and arrows back there!"

Meanwhile, Kirara took this time to transform. She allowed the flames to surround her to change into her larger, saber-toothed form. The neko then let out a very loud growl as the youkai approached them.

It was a grotesque creature with purple skin and unnatural glowing, yellow eyes.

"Give me the Shikon Jewel…" it hissed at the miko.

"I run off alone without my archery set. Great going Kagome…" Kagome berated to herself under her breath. She then glared at the youkai and yelled," There's no way I'll give them up to you!"

"Then I'll take them from you by force!" the creature screamed, charging towards Kagome.

Kirara took this time to jumped in front of the miko. She then pounced on the youkai. Kirara cast a small look at Kagome as if urging her to run.

At first the miko hesitated, but then began to run through the forest that bordered the pathway she went down. She paused and looked back when she heard a pained roar from Kirara.

"What should I do?" she asked herself, stopping to catch her breath.

"You will NOT escape!" the youkai yelled loud enough for her to hear. It then appeared before her suddenly.

"Eek!" Kagome shrieked in alarm and surprise. The youkai jumped into the air and the miko shielded herself, closing her eyes, half expecting her life to end.

However, a few moments passed and nothing happened to her. She then felt like she was flying.

"Keh! I can't leave you alone for one second without something attacking you!" came a voice that made Kagome's heart nearly lurch into her throat. She opened her eyes and seen Inuyasha's eyes peer down into hers.

"I…Inu…Inuyasha?" she could only get out as she clung to him. He dropped her to the ground and then faced off against the youkai.

"I want the Shikon Jewel shards!" the youkai declared.

"You're not getting them, bastard!" Inuyasha bellowed, cracking his knuckles. He charged at the youkai and jumped up, claws bared. "SANKON TESSOU!" he shouted, slicing into the air in front of the creature. Yellow blades of light erupted from his claws and slashed through the youkai, killing it in an instant.

"Keh! Weakling…" Inuyasha muttered under his breath as he landed on the ground. He then looked at the miko concern evident in his eyes. "Kagome, are you ok?"

The miko dumbly nodded as she clutched her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. "Yea, but Kirara…" she trailed off in worry.

Inuyasha nodded and bent down in front in front of her. "C'mon," he said.

"Right," she nodded, getting onto his back and allowing his hands to support her. He then took off, leaping in between the many trees as he raced to where Kirara's scent was located at.

They landed on the ground a few minutes later, finding the neko sprawled on the ground. She returned back to her smaller, cat form because she was injured. There was a scratch across the side of the neko, causing her to give a small mew of pain.

Kagome got off of Inuyasha and rushed towards Kirara. "Oh Kirara, I'm sorry about this…" she murmured in concern. "We have to get you to Sango-chan…" she wrapped the neko-youkai in her arms and got back onto Inuyasha's back. The trio then raced back to the group as fast as the hanyou's speed could permit.

Within minutes, they arrived in a clearing where the group apparently set up camp at. The sun was now set, therefore, the group decided to rest for the night.

When Inuyasha landed, the rest of the Inu-Tachi greeted Kagome with smiles.

However, their smiles dissipated when Kagome walked up to Sango with Kirara bundled up in her arms.

"Gomen…Sango-chan," Kagome began.

"What happened to Kirara?" Sango asked in alarm.

"We were attacked by a youkai and Kirara fought the youkai to allow me to escape. However, the creatrue sliced her side…" Kagome explained.

The taijiya nodded, taking in the story and allowing the miko to set Kirara down onto the ground.

"How badly is she hurt?" Shippou asked in concern.

The taijiya kneeled down beside the injured neko. After a minute of inspection, Sango smiled at the kitsune. "Not badly; just few scratches. After I apply some herbs, they should heal in a day or two…" she explained.

Shippou nodded his head in understanding. Sango then turned to Kagome. "Kagome-chan, do you have any of that ointment you keep in that box?" she asked.

"Oh yea…" the miko nodded, quickly setting down her backpack and retrieving her First Aid kit from inside. She then opened the box and handed the bottle to the woman.

"Arigatou," Sango replied, taking the bottle and beginning to apply it to the neko. Kirara squirmed a bit as her companion smeared it onto her cuts. Kagome also handed Sango some bandages so as to put over the scrapes also. The taijiya also applied some of the wrappings to Kirara as well. After about fifteen minutes, the deeds were done and the miko set to cooking the evening meal.

After the meal of ramen, the group had a few conversations about Naraku and other things. During this time, Kagome and Inuyasha both avoided talking to each other. Kagome avoided talking to Inuyasha because she was still in shock about the poem he possibly wrote to her. Inuyasha only didn't talk to her because she wasn't talking to him. He still thought that she was mad at him.

Into the middle of the night, most of the group finally fell to sleep. The only ones left awake were Kagome and Inuyasha.

The hanyou stared down at Kagome as she laid awake in her sleeping bag. He knew that she was still awake, but hesitated in speaking to her. He finally got fed up with the silence and decided to break it. He gave some thought to it and knew that it wasn't just what happened between him and Kouga earlier that caused her silence towards him. Her looks of shock towards him from rescuing her added to his guess.

"Kagome…?" he called out to her in a slightly nervous voice.

Kagome heaved a small sigh and sat up to face the hanyou. "I'm awake. What's wrong?" she asked in a soft tone. A calm voice that made him worried.

"Are you still mad at me?" he hesitantly pondered.

She completely forgot about that and sighed. "No, I'm fine. I just overreacted is all…" she trailed off. "I'm sorry Inuyasha," she finally said.

He took the cue and hopped from his perch from the tree down beside her. She nearly jumped in surprise of his sudden actions. "You're sorry?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, doubting her words.

"Yes I am…" Kagome said, knowing what he was talking about. She was too busy thinking about that poem to concentrate on what happened between them earlier. "Anything else you want to ask?" she replied.

"Then what's with you ignoring me all night?" Inuyasha then demanded.

She looked away from his gaze, not able to hold his stare for long. "I'm just thinking about some things…" she trailed off.

The hanyou sighed and allowed his gruffness to leave his tone. He decided to just come out with it. "Kagome…you read it, didn't you?" he asked in all seriousness.

Her head snapped back so fast that her neck almost cracked. Her eyes widened. "You mean…you DID w--write t--that?" she stuttered out in shock.

He smirked in response. "How the hell else would I know about someone writing in your book if I didn't do it myself?" he replied.

"But…a poem?" she asked in disbelief. "I didn't know it was possible from _you_ of all people…"

He crossed his arms as a small blush began to rise onto his cheeks. "Keh! Don't expect me to do it ever again…" he grumbled in embarrassment. His ears plastered against his skull for added emphasis.

A grin then crossed her face. "So that means what you said was true?" she asked in hopefulness.

He gave her a deadpan expression. "You think I would lie?" he demanded in a slight growl.

"Well…it's sort of hard to believe…" she replied back in a bit of irritation.

"What about you then?" he demanded.

"So you DID read my journal entries!" Kagome half-yelled. Both of them looked around to make sure that no one woke up from that outburst.

"And if I did just happen to read it?" Inuyasha replied haughtily.

"You read it even though I told you not to read it!" the miko whispered in slight anger.

"You shouldn't have left it out in the open then. You fell asleep with it in your lap, wide open might I add," Inuyasha smirked, thinking he had won.

"But it was still my personal property!"

He raised his eyebrow. He then rolled his eyes. Leave it to her to bring up a subject that would start an argument between them at a good moment like this.

"Why are we even arguing?" Inuyasha demanded. This question made Kagome pause for a second to hear the hanyou's thoughts. "I mean we both obviously heard what we wanted to hear each other say…" he trailed off quieter.

"I…I guess you're right…" Kagome admitted softly. She smiled again. "It seems so weird that we could admit such things in writing, but we never were able to say them out loud…"

"Yea…" Inuyasha mused. There was an odd silence for a few minutes as they avoided each others' stares. However, the silence quickly passed as he stiffened up, catching a familiar scent he feared.

He looked over at the miko and stuttered out," K…Kagome?"

She was crying once again, sniffling as the translucent pearls streamed down her cheeks. She glanced over at him and still managed at smile. "Its…just that I'm so happy…that you…love me is all…" she managed to rasp out.

Inuyasha raised his eyebrow and inched closer to her. He reached over and grasped her hand.

He took at deep breath as he prepared himself for what he was about to say to her. He looked straight into her eyes. "_I_ **_do_**…" he gulped,"…_love you_." His eyes glowed with concern and his tone was laced in seriousness. His other clawed hand reached out to her cheeks and he used his thumb to brush away the lingering tears.

Kagome was surprised at his kindness. Even though he wrote that he loved her, it was still amazing to hear him actually say it! His gruffness was gone as he confessed this. A small blush made its way to her cheeks.

"I…Inuyasha…" she gasped. No matter how much she wanted to look away from him, she knew that she shouldn't. "I…_I love you too_…" she finally admitted. She let out a small sudden laugh. "I must look really stupid now, crying like an idiot--"

Her words were cut off as Inuyasha used her hand he held in his own to jerk her towards him. Once she was an inch away, his mouth instantly covered hers. Kagome's eyes widened from the initial shock, but soon her eyelids fluttered shut as she fell into the kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she twisted her face to deepen the kiss.

Inuyasha's tongue reached out and tentatively licked her lower lip as if silently asking for entrance. The miko shyly opened her mouth to allow his access. His tongue stroked the inside of her mouth, tasting her and enjoying it. Kagome began to battle back with her own tongue, though neither person cared who would dominate.

Finally, after a few minutes, they broke apart, breathing raggedly. Both of their faces flushed an embarrassed crimson as they looked at each other.

Kagome managed a small smile and laced her fingers back through his own. She then leaned against his shoulder.

He, in turn, leaned his head atop of hers as he squeezed her hand back. They both had small grins on their faces as they stared at the fire beside them.

In their peaceful moments of bliss, they were unaware of the silver beings slithering above them in the night sky. They were shiki-gami…

* * *

I'm sure that much fluff and the length would make up for the long wait…right? How was that for a chapter! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!

**Translations:**

Hentai - Pervert

Baka - Idiot/stupid/moron

Ohayo gozaimasu - Good Morning

Ohayo - Morning

Hai - Yes!

Inukkoro - Insult Kouga uses for Inuyasha. Means dog-turd/dog-breath

Osuwari - Sit!

Ookami - Wolf

Sankon Tessou - Soul Scattering Claw or "Iron Reaver Soul Stealer" if you watch dubbed version of the anime

Gomen - Sorry

Arigatou - Thank you

What will Kikyou do! Find out next time on the final installment of this three chapter series!

Please review!

Ja ne!


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